ATHLETICS v FOOTBALL: And a tale of two sports.

And again for me at least, it's the perfect excuse to go outdoors more, do some gardening, chat more with the neighbours, go for walks, have day trips out, and do even more of the one pastime I relish most during the summer months, fishing.

Mo Farah of Great Britain displays his anguish as he finishes runner-up to Muktar Edris of Ethiopia in the 5,000m final in London

By Andy Simon @AndySimon55

Summertime telly can be rather boring. Well for me at least, it can.

And again for me at least, it's the perfect excuse to go outdoors more, do some gardening, chat more with the neighbours, go for walks, have day trips out, and do even more of the one pastime I relish most during the summer months, fishing.

However there were some golden nuggets on the telly apart from the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall that kept the fishing rod I have so often used stored in the shed namely; The World Athletics Championships held at London Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Park.

It only lasted nine days and it was packed with thrills, spills, drama and a good dollop of controversy thrown in for good measure. And if you ignored the BBC commentators smarmy, gushy, spew regarding all the athletes taking part, it was rather enjoyable to watch.

Now being a bit of a fan of the Olympic games, these athletic world championships had me drawn towards it like a moth to a flame from the very start primarily because typically, not only are the athletes fascinating to watch, but also there is no trouble at all.

I mean there is nothing; nothing at all!

No firecrackers, no thuggish behaviour from the crowd, no hostility from any team towards another, no foul language, no obscene gesticulations from the competitors, or crowds, no spitting, no swearing, no fighting, I mean the list could go on and on!

The behaviour of the athletes is first rate.

The same can be said of the crowds who gathered inside the 60,000 seat stadium at Queen Elizabeth Park to watch these athletic ambassadors represent their respective nations by doing the stuff which at times, appeared easy, but obviously wasn't.

And yes; I was even impressed by the BBC's coverage.
Sporting events like these are more enjoyable in HD.

The medals table could have been a bit more impressive. After all; the British talent we had taking part were fabulous.

However the Americans predictably dominated the competition with an impressive collection of well deserved medals namely 10 Gold, 11 Silver and 9 Bronze. At least the American athletes were doing their bit to make America 'Great Again' which is more than I can say for those gathered at Charlottesville recently.

Mr Trump has his work cut out there. Enough said...

Sadly we also had to say farewell to some world class athletic legends at the championships on Sunday.

Mo Farah; who won Gold in the 10,000 metres and Silver in the 5,000 metres officially retired at this world championship event.

So too did Jamaica's Usain Bolt, who didn't quite have the final finish he was hoping for due to a hamstring injury he incured whilst running in the 400m relay final.

What a way to end a glittering career!
Oh well. Life's like that.

But throughout the entire competition, there was no trouble. There was absolutely nothing either from the crowd nor from the athletes who took part that would have left a bad taste in your mouth.

The same could not be said for football however.

The new football season has barely started and already, trouble has raised its ugly head in an early season match between Middlesbrough and Sheffield United on Saturday.

The differences between these two popular sporting genres could not be more clearly defined.

According to media reports, children as young as 10 were scared out of their wits when brawling, yes 'brawling' broke out after the game as fans from both sides apparently hurled bricks and stones at each other as well as exchanging blows.

Apparently the trouble flared up shortly before the final whistle when a Sheffield United late goal was disallowed, resulting in a minor pitch invasion.

Assistant Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, Jason Harwin said, "It's terrifying for children to witness such violence, or be embroiled in it, as their parents frantically try to keep them safe."

There was even mayhem outside the Riverside Stadium.

And apparently (and I have not seen this personally) there is even video footage of a guy spitting at a young child. Clearly the world of the football fan has shown a standard to which fans of other sports would never think of sinking to.

And some may wonder why I no longer
take an interest in football.

I never heard any reports of fans from competing countries fighting, hurling bricks and stones, or even spitting at each other during the entire week long event at the London Stadium.

Case for the prosecution, rests . . .

Sporting events, even football ones can be enjoyable telly, and last week's world athletics championship was one fine example of how sport can be enjoyed, and how fans of it can, and should, behave.

As I have said at the start of this review, I don't get to watch much telly during the summer months, mainly due to either work commitments, and/or the fact that there is simply nothing worth watching anyway.

Telly is about as dull as the summer weather, at times.
But every now and then, you get a golden nugget.

And for the World Athletics Championships in London, I must award the athletes, the crowds, and (I can't believe I'm doing this) the BBC, a Gold medal, for their great coverage, the athletes for their great sportsmanship, and Gold to the fans, for showing those footie thugs, the finest example of how to behave, like civilised human beings.

User login

Search form

About

After ten years in Hollywood, Kevin returned to London to work for the Daily Mirror in a number of executive roles, including showbusiness editor and features editor. Keen to get back to writing, he became the Mirror's film and theatre critic. And in 2006 transferred to the Sunday Mirror as TV columnist. The rest is history. His last column appeared on February 21st, 2016. By an extraordinary coincidence he launched this wonderful website on the same day.
A familiar face on telly, Kevin is also a seasoned broadcaster. He is the TV critic for Channel 5's The Wright Stuff, on which his popular Talking Telly slot is aired every Friday. He is a regular contributor to Radio 5's Afternoon Edition Television Club. And he reviews the newspapers on Sky News' breakfast programme Sunrise with Eamonn Holmes.